Nine killed in violence across Indian Occupied Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Separate clashes in Indian occupied Kashmir killed nine people — five police officers, two civilians and two suspected rebels — authorities said on Friday, as violence in the troubled region spikes.

Suspected rebels ambushed a police patrol in the town of Achhabal, killing five police personnel, a top police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Earlier, soldiers and a police special counter-insurgency force cordoned off Arwani village on a tip off that armed rebels were hiding in two homes, triggering a firefight, the officer said.